Women’s Basketball Polishes Off Historic Non-Conference Season

On Dec 28, 2022

By: Matt Sugam (contributions from GoColumbiaLions.com)

NEW YORK — Columbia women’s basketball will head into Ivy League play with its best non-conference finish in program history. The Lions returned from a 15-day break to defeat Ohio, 81-59, Wednesday afternoon on Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium.

They had to shake off some rust to do so. Columbia (11-2), whose last game came on December 13 in a 90-47 thumping of LIU, was in a five-point game at halftime. The Lions were able to extend that to eight by the end of the third quarter, before outscoring Ohio (2-9) 26-12 in the final period to pull away. An 8-0 run with threes by Abbey Hsu and Perri Page pushed the margin to 14. Columbia then outscored the Bobcats 15-4 over the final 3:45 to walk away comfortably.

Hsu had 22 points and seven rebounds to lead a trio in double figures. Senior Kaitlyn Davis added 13 points and eight rebounds while Kitty Henderson stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, eight rebounds and six assists.

“We went back to our game plan in the second half. We were a lot less relaxed,” Henderson told Lance Medow postgame on ESPN+. “In the first half, we were very casual with a lot of our movement. I think we also just came back together and said we’re going to get this done. We’re doing it together. I think that’s what it comes back to, focusing on your teammates, focusing on us.”

The win was Columbia’s eighth straight, tying a program record for most consecutive wins that they set last year. Columbia is receiving votes in the AP Poll for the third straight week as it tries to break into the Top 25 for the first time ever. By finishing a tough non-conference schedule 11-2 (.846), the Lions posted their best non-conference winning percentage and tied for the program’s most non-conference wins.

?? @paige_lauder in transition! How about the take and the crossover from the 6-1 forward?!?

? @ESPNPlus
? https://t.co/xkwP0EVPpz
? https://t.co/wnwkMttzKJ #RoarLionRoar // #EDGE pic.twitter.com/G8Yxfi0FnK

— Columbia Women’s Basketball (@CULionsWBB) December 28, 2022

“We had to knock off some of the rust — it’s been two weeks since we tipped. This team is experienced but they are still human,” said head coach Megan Griffith ’07CC. “You are worried about some of these things with any team coming out of a break.

“It was nice to see us adjust in the second half a little bit better … Ohio is a winning program. I know they are figuring out their identity this year but that’s a really good team and a program that was always going to come in here today and give us their best.”

After a couple of early ties, Columbia raced out to a 24-9 lead. Hsu, the All-Ivy League sharpshooter, hit a couple of early treys to create the first bit of separation. The Lions led by double figures for the first time at the 2:53 mark and took an 11-point cushion into the second period.

The Bobcats would fight back in the second quarter, starting on a 7-2 run and cutting the Lions’ lead to six on a couple of occasions. A 3-pointer by Kendall Hale midway through the period made it a 31-26 game. The Bobcats would cut it to five again late in the half, making it 38-33 at the break.

After Ohio cut the lead to three at 43-40, Columbia quickly answered with nine of the next 11 to go back on top by double figures. Another 3-ball by Hale to open the fourth quarter would make it a five-point game for the final time before the Lions pulled away for good. Hannah Pratt had 10 points and six rebounds and first-year Perri Page had nine points, four steals and four rebounds.

NEEDED IT! ? @PagePerri from the corner extends our lead to 9. Timeout Lions with 7:22 to play.

? @ESPNPlus
? https://t.co/xkwP0EVPpz
? https://t.co/wnwkMttzKJ #RoarLionRoar // #EDGE pic.twitter.com/RqZ1037yaK

— Columbia Women’s Basketball (@CULionsWBB) December 28, 2022

Columbia outrebounded Ohio 51-26 in the contest.

“Rebounding is just all about doing the hard things. Going for every ball,” Henderson said. “We have a big emphasis on 50-50 balls and rebounding is definitely part of that … We do get a lot of shots up. We’re a shooting team but there are certainly opportunities for rebounds.”

Now, the Lions set their sights on the Ivy League regular season and that elusive Ancient Eight Title. First up is a road test in New Haven, Connecticut on New Year’s Eve, where Columbia will take on Yale at 1 p.m. ET. The game will air on ESPN+.

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Matt Sugam ’23 SPS has been covering sports in the NYC Metropolitan area for over a decade. He has spent the last eight years covering college and professional sports as a stringer for the Associated Press and contributing to The New York Times, USA Today Network, NJ.com, and SNY.tv. He’s been covering Lions Athletics for gocolumbialions.com while pursuing an M.S. in Strategic Communication at Columbia’s School of Professional Studies. Follow him on Twitter @MattSugam or visit his website at www.mattsugam.com